Purity Ring

Purity Ring are Corin Roddick, 21, and Megan James, 24, a Montreal/Halifax-based electro-pop duo that started in 2010 with no real vision but has survived thanks to a flair for invention.

Last year Purity Ring put out three acclaimed songs that led to near-instant buzz band status and deals with Last Gang and 4AD, which will release their debut, Shrines, in July. Their sound coalesces around dark, sludgy synths and skittery Southern-rap-style beats nudged in a light-hearted direction by James's vocal effects and lyrics drawn from her childhood diaries.

"Initially we hadn't put any thought into how we might perform live," Roddick says. "We were very much a studio creation. We brainstormed a lot - there was even a moment where I was considering playing a drum set.

"Things came together fast when we actually started rehearsing, though. We quickly figured out what worked and what didn't."

What works includes stage costumes and a lighting rig that doubles as a musical instrument. Created by Roddick, it's a series of touchscreen lanterns connected to a synthesizer that produce melodies and emit light when played percussively.

"Obedear is a current favourite [song to perform]," he says. "Some parts are a little bit trickier than other songs, so it's sort of exciting to see if we can pull it off."